> ar fi bine ca alte state sa nu mai respinga constitutia > pentru daca e respinsa de 6 state adio, ne intoarcem la nisa.
Pai stati asa, ca asta-i doar inceputul. Acum se pregateste si Luxemburgul! Vali --------------------- No-vote lobby gains ground in usually pro-Europe Luxembourg By Sarah Laitner and George Parker in Brussels Published: June 1 2005 03:00 | Last updated: June 1 2005 03:00 If aFrench rejection of Europe's constitutional treaty seemed unlikely earlier this year, a No vote by passionately pro-Europe Luxembourg would have been inconceivable. But after the political shockwaves created by the overwhelming French No vote and the expectation that the Dutch will reject the constitution today, even Luxembourg's endorsement is no longer certain. While the Luxembourg Yes camp remains in the lead, opponents are gaining ground ahead of the referendum on July 10 in the tiny Grand Duchy, which houses many of the European Union's big institutions. The Yes camp's share narrowed from 59 per cent last month to 46 per cent in May, while support for the No vote grew from 23 per cent to 32 per cent, according to the Ilres polling group. Rejection could cause profound changes to the country's political scene because Jean-Claude Juncker, prime minister, has threatened to quit if the referendum is lost. "Up until now Luxembourg was very pro-Europe and favourable towards European integration," says Robert Goebbels, one of the country's MEPs. "This [change] is a surprise. It seems frustration is coming out." A strong showing by the No camp or outright rejection would be another demonstration of the disenchantment emerging towards the new, expanded European Union in its founder member states. It would also show that even the EU's richest country, and the biggest net beneficiary of aid from the bloc's budget, could fall out of love with Europe. Luxembourg is a model example of European unity. Foreigners make up almost 40 per cent of the population and thousands of cross-border workers commute to the landlocked country daily. But Luxembourgers are using the campaign to reveal fears about integration and in particular unease at not being consulted either on the bloc's eastward enlargement last year or the possible entry of Muslim Turkey. They are also expected to use their first referendum since 1937 to demonstrate the fears they share with the French of a supposed Anglo-Saxon free market takeover of the bloc. The political establishment in the country is firmly behind the treaty, with the No campaign led by extreme left- and rightwing groups. Mr Juncker, Christian Democrat prime minister since 1995, remains popular among the population of 460,000 and has been lauded for the way he has steered complex negotiations during Luxembourg's current six- month presidency of the EU. Commentators say that, unlike in France, rejection or a strong No vote would not be a sign of voters trying to give their leader a bloody nose. "This would not be a protest against prime minister Juncker," says Laurent Moyse, editor of the centrist newspaper La Voix du Luxembourg. "I am not sure for the moment people are thinking about his future. They are thinking more about Luxembourg's future in Europe." But rejection would raise the stakes considerably for the EU's longest-serving leader, who retains ambitions of holding high office in Brussels. Mr Juncker is already the political "Mr Euro" for the single currency, the semi-permanent chair of the monthly eurogroup meeting of eurozone finance ministers. He is also tipped to become the first full-time president of the European Council - a post that would be created if the European constitution was ratified. C Copyright The Financial Times Ltd 2005 http://news.ft.com/cms/s/2e150ede-d23b-11d9-8c82-00000e2511c8.html ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Take a look at donorschoose.org, an excellent charitable web site for anyone who cares about public education! http://us.click.yahoo.com/_OLuKD/8WnJAA/cUmLAA/RR.olB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> *** sustineti [romania_eu_list] prin 1% din impozitul pe 2005 - detalii la http://www.europe.org.ro/euroatlantic_club/unulasuta.php *** Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/romania_eu_list/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
